‘Access to medicine declines’

LETTICIA MAGOMBO

There has been a decline in the number of Zimbabwean households that are able to access medicine and medical treatment, a new report shows, amid calls for government’s intervention in the health sector.

According to Zimstat’s Rapid Poverty Income Consumption and Expenditure Survey (PICES) which was conducted in the first quarter of 2022, the proportion of households that were able to buy medicines decreased to 75% in round 7 from 79% in round 6.

Out of those that needed medical treatment, the proportion that were able to access treatment was 78% in round 7 compared to 89% in round 6.

Speaking during the online dissemination exercise, central bank’s chief economist Nicholas Masiyandima said the statistics were worrying.

“What is worrisome in terms of access from the presentation if you compare for example, in terms of access to medication which is a key requirement in society, you actually realise in this particular case that access for those who need medication has actually declined from round 5 to round 7 so that’s a major decline.”

In round 5 access to medication stood at 99% and 81% in urban and rural areas respectively. Access to medical treatments during the same period for urban areas was 92% while for rural areas it was 83%.

Masiyandima said that this was an indication that the sector needed urgent attention.

“One of the objectives of this survey is to inform on specific interventions and what it says in regard to access to medical treatment and access to medicines is that something needs to be done around this particular area.”

He also said that the findings were acting in contrast to itself because they had indicated a rise in employment.

“If people are better off in terms of getting new jobs, getting rehired and probably even getting more incomes, access to medication declining will probably suggest that something needs to be done to deduct the pricing of that particular sector.”

The Rapid PICES dissemination revealed that there had been an increase in the number of people in the job market compared to 2020 when the survey first started. This is an increase from 51% in the first round to 59% in the seventh round.

Round 8 and 9 of the survey are still being conducted.